FDA picks environmental hype over public health

The government has long sought to protect both public health and the environment, but what does it do when these two priorities seemingly conflict with one another? Well such was recently the case when the FDA was charged with removing the last remaining over-the-counter asthma inhaler. As reported in CNS News, the asthma inhaler primatene mist doesn’t require a prescription and is readily available to those suffering from asthma. But because it also contains CFCs, a chemical that allegedly harms the ozone layer, the FDA decided to slate it for elimination by 2011. So it seems when faced with the issue of public health versus environmental hype, it’s public health that gets the short end of the stick.